This is it
by Thatwouldbesuper
Summary: Mint encounters a familiar stranger in her quest for the [relic] of Ephlesia. Who is this man, and is he really who she thinks he is? Unfinished, and will probably say that way
1. Chapter 1

**This is it- Chapter One  
**_AN: When text is in it is in Ephlesian_

Rue had left her in the Inn. He had told her to stay put and not wander too far. He told her he would be back in a few days.

None of the things he told her happened.

"I'm soooo BORED!" Mint moaned, loudly, in the dark of her room, a single flickering candle burning ceiling-blackening smoke.

Peasant smoke, Mint thought. That's what her father had always called it. Candles that set out smoke like that were inexpensive and (as she thought) useless entirely.

Rue had been gone for three days. If he wasn't going to keep up her end of the deal, she wasn't. Mint sat up stretched her arms. She looked upon her old ratty blue tunic.

First things first she thought. New clothes.

Picking up her knapsack and Dual Halos, Mint scurried out of her dark room, and out into the busy streets of Ephlesia. Hundreds of milling people dressed in lightweight white robes pushed past her, some carrying rickshaw like carts filled with all assortments of things, from spices to robes to shrunken heads. Mysterious looking women in veils but not much else danced alluring dances on the street corners, bowls set before them waiting for change like dogs, hungry for fresh meat. Mint felt out of place amongst the clammer, with her light hair and pale skin, dressed in garments from the East.

A man bumped into her, nearly knocking her over. "Hey! Watch it, buddy!" Mint shouted at her assailant. The man gave her an odd look, muttered something in a language she didn't understand and walked on.

"How rude," Mint said aloud. "Doesn't he care I'm a princess?"

She said princess very loudly. No one turned their heads, which was what she was hoping for.

Pouting at being scorned an pushed around by these obviously disrespectful (in her opinion) people, she stalked off in the direction of a decorative storefront. Pushing open the door she found--

A tavern. Mint smirked.

Gorgeous.

The air was laden with hookah smoke (and some other questionable smoke as well) as in one corner a group of richly dressed men sat smoking their pipes and bongs and other peripherals.

The bar was lined with men. Some sobbing, some laughing, some singing together. Some were silent. One man wasn't drinking anything at all.

He was wearing a black cloak which ended around his ankles, and one could see his feet, which were booted in familiar boots...

NO, thought Mint. It isn't him.

His face was shadowed by the cloaks hood. The cloak was of an eastern design, with intricate, silver swirls in places, although it was of a simple design. Poking out of the shadow, half tucked behind his ear was a lock of thick, white hair. Coupled with his pale skin...

NO, she repeated in her head, IT ISN'T HIM. He's gone.

"May I help you?" the man asked. In the tongue of East Heaven. In a familiar voice.

"Uhhhh," Mint blushed. It wasn't him, so it was all right to think he was cute, right?

"Its just that you walked up and started staring at me. I wasn't sure if there was anything you wanted to say," he said, in a calm, calculated voice.

She turned away from the man with an embarrassed face.

"Hey! Bartender!" she called.

The man characteristically cleaning out a beer mug didn't even turn to her.

"Hey! Bartender!" Mint called louder, a little annoyed.

Once again, the barkeep didn't move a muscle.

"He doesn't understand you," the man said.

Mint was practically on top of the bar, unaware of her own movements. Slowly she turned back to look at him. He tilted his head back and he caught a glimpse of his face, twisted into a cruelly amused smile.

"What?" she asked in a flustered voice.

"He doesn't speak the Tongue of the East," the cloaked man grinned cruelly. He was enjoying this!

"Who do you think you are?" Mint snarled, grabbing him by the cloak collar. "I happened to be PRINCESS Mint of the East Heaven Kingdom!"

She was sitting on his lap. Oh god. I'm totally fucking screwed.

The man looked surprised and almost impressed. "Euuh.. Miss, please... get off of me," he said. He was trying not to laugh!

The entire bar was laughing.

" Looks like you got yourself a girlfriend " one of the drunkards giggled loudly.

" Shut up you bastard! " the man shouted back, with a huge smile on his face.

"What are they saying?" Mint asked frantically.

"They are saying that I should buy you a drink," he lied through his teeth. "But I don't like that idea. I don't have much money... I'm just a lowly translator."

She gave him a dirty look. "I don't need your charity!"

" She probably wants a beer " the cloaked man said to the guffawing bartender.

" Right away... right away " the bartender said through fits of laughter.

Mint relaxed a bit, and sat back. Oh shit. I'm still sitting on his lap.

"S-sorry!" she fairly screamed as her face flushed red, and she sat on the stool next to him.

"Its all right. They are gonna tease me about this till the day I die... whenever that comes around," he said, in a gentler tone of voice. "And I'm that's assuming sooner than later."

Mint didn't even ask. She didn't care. She just wanted to get out of there. Get a drink, then leave. And run... run for East Heaven.

A mug or beer hit the bar hard, spilling the frothy head over the rim of the cup. Mint looked up to the bartender and pointed at herself. the bartender nodded slowly, with a creepy smile on his face.

"I ordered it for you. You need to get good and drunk so you can forget everything." The last line was not directed at her.

Mint look into the dark liquid. Suddenly, she wasn't all that thirsty anymore. Somehow, the way he said what he had just said. It did something. She felt guilty.

IT IS NOT HIM. He never acted like this in the court...

... because if he did, he'd have his head chopped off.

FUCK.

She looked over at him, just one more time. He was looking off in the air as a wisp of hookah smoke as it danced in front of his face like a ballerina. His eyes where distant, his mouth was half open, in a smile, as though he was remembering something.

Mint stared at him. HE would never be so absentminded. HE would never be so kind to her. Especially not after what she did...

But what she did was kill him. So it couldn't be him.

Could it?

He closed his eyes and mouth. Leaned forward, pushed to stool out and stood up.

" I'm turning in " he said.

" This early? " the bartender piqued.

" Yes... I can't spend than much time with this girl. "

" She is... Oh... I see " the bartender calculated.

" If you need any help, I'll be in my room " the man said, and turned to go up the stairs that where nearly hidden by thick hanging drapes in the musty darkness of the Tavern.

"Where are you going?" Mint snapped, rudely.

The man stopped, and turned to her. "What?"

"Where are you going?" she asked again, though a little less rudely.

"I'm going to my room. I'm not a part of your court, little Princess Mint. You don't need to know where I'm going all the time," he said with a small grin.

Mint was left, sitting with her mouth half open.

She dropped some coins on the bar, and walked quickly out of the tavern and back to the Inn. As she made her way to her room a distaste grew for the ma in the cloak.

She flopped onto her mattress and looked out into the waning sunlight.

"What a dirty bastard... he probably just wanted some of this," she said and slapped her behind.

But the room was empty, and there was no one there.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two:**

**A Fine Day of Shopping**

The next day, Mint got up earlier than she expected. It felt like the crack of dawn to her, but it was actually around eight o'clock.

She stretched and over dramatically yawned, cricked her neck from side to side. Mint slammed her feet down on the ground and stomped about the room, groggily picking up her clothes and getting dressed in a very unprincessly manner. As soon as she was dressed, Mint took a look out the window and down the street a ways. There was the eccentrically decorated tavern.

"I wonder if he really lives there," she thought aloud absently.

Wait.

You DON'T like him.

Remember that, stupid.

"I might go get some new clothes today," Mint announced to no one.

She pouted. "I wish Rue were here."

Uuuuuuggggghhhhhh...

He was always whining about Claire, and about how much he missed her.

My mom ran away from the castle when I was only four, how do you think hat makes me feel? Mint had always wanted to retort, but had bit her tongue. Claire was dead. Her mother might still be alive. Claire was gone until they found the relic here in Ephlesia. IF they found the relic. There might not even be a relic, as Klaus explained before returning to Carona for health purposes. Mira had gone with him. Elena was in the city somewhere, staying with a relative of Mira's.

Mint was all alone.

She crept down the stairs of the Inn quietly. Leaving the building, she walked into the already bustling streets. Down the street she walked, glancing left and right every now and then.

Where can I buy some clothes? Any clothes?

She had seen many street vendors with cloaks and robes and other assorted things, but feared they wouldn't speak the Tongue of the East. Aimlessly, she wandered the streets. Practically in tears, an idea popped into her head.

THAT MAN!

He could speak the Tongue of the East, and he probably knew the city like the back of his hand, Mint reasoned with herself. Before she even knew what she was doing, she had walked begun to walk in the direction or the tavern.

She stopped in mid-step. Was she a moron? She didn't know this man!

But, in the end, she gave into the need for a translator, and marched into the Tavern, a grim look of defeat on her face.

The Man was sitting at the bar as he was the day before, staring off into space.

Her face was twisted into a look of determination as she took very pronounced steps to the stool on which he sat. She reached a very very slowly up toward his shoulder, which she tapped with a shaking hand. Her pride was screaming in agony as he turned to look at her.

"What do you want?" he said in a bit of a sour voice. He seemed more groggy than yesterday. Or perhaps... Drunk.

"I was wondering if I could... um. borrow you... for something..." she said, not looking at him.

The Man smiled a crooked smile. "That's really depends on what we would be doing," he said, in a goggly voice.

Yep, he's drunk.

"Do you even know what time it is? Its before noon and you're already totally sauced!" Mint shouted at him.

"Thank you, Princess Obvious, now what is it you need me for anyhow, and how much will I be paid?" He slurred the words together and said them rather loudly.

Mint crinkled her nose in disgust. "You're one nasty man. I need you to be my translator... I'm going shopping."

"That's no fun at all," he pouted.

"I never said it would be," she snapped.

He pouted even more. "I don't want to."

She grabbed him but the hand and dragged him to the door. He complied with a childish gloom upon his face, dragging his feet in a very juvenile manner.

"Where is the closest clothing store?" Mint asked over her shoulder with a scowl on her face. This Man!

He looked around through the crowds, trying to get his bearings in his dizzied drunken stupor, and pointed questionably to the left of the street. "There's some store over there a ways," he muttered, his brow furrowing.

She yanked him in the direction he pointed, nearly knocking him off his feet. She walked with such vengeance, nearly carrying the man. Looking down at his hand, Mint saw that her hands where dark in comparison. His hand was of a deathly pallor, covered in shallow scars, his nails chewed to nubs. She was so concerned with looking at his hands, she nearly walked into a store's open door.

The Man made a face, which changed from disdain to horror as she violently dragged him around the door frame, almost knocking his lights out.

A kindly looking venduese stood inside the store; she looked very ethnic- dark skin, dark auburn hair, and dark blue eyes. Her dress was a shapeless but pretty, green sleeveless, which reached around her ankles, her sandals where brown and leather, and she had a shawl draped carelessly around her shoulders and pinned together with a peridot brooch. She smiled when she saw the odd couple.

" Hello " the venduese said gently.

"Say something," Mint scowled.

"Something," the man said.

Mint hit him upside the head.

" Can she please get some clothes? " he asked.

The Venduese tittered a near silent laugh. She directed the short redhead to a section of clothes that she felt would fit her.

After forty-five long and boring minutes, the man yelled, now sober, "How much longer is this gonna take!"

"Shut the fuck up, you!"

He got up and started pacing. " Miss... I've got places to be. Have you made ANY progress? "

" She's a tough cookie, you girl. I think I may have found something though. "

" She is NOT my girl, he said.

Just then, Mint stepped out from behind the dressing screen.

She was dressed in a ribbed, off-white shirt, that ran the curves of her body (though she was still pretty flat) and ended at her hips. Hugging her hips like a homesick, aborted fetus was a skirt, it was a few inches above her knee, with a short slit up on the left side. It was a dark, greyish-blue, trimmed in black. She had also acquired new boots-- looser, thicker black boots. She had a pair of socks on, a light shade of grey, that where about as tall as her boots.

"What are YOU looking at?" Mint scowled.

The man snapped out of his dazed stare.

"Well?" she, turned, in a very model-like way. "How is it?"

"It's nice," he sputtered out. he could feel heat rushing to his face. "I-I mean... It looks good on you. It really suits your body shape."

"What is THAT supposed to mean?" she yelled, taking his comment in the wrong direction. "I know you where a creep!"

"Hey, now! It was supposed to be a compliment!"

"If THAT was a compliment then so is this!"

Mint felt her foot collide with the side of his face sending him flying across the room and crashing to the floor.

Oops.

He just laid there after he fell. He didn't move at all.

"Oh no..." Mint gasped.

Oh FUCK, she thought.

She scurried over to him, and poked him with her foot. "Um... are you...dead?"

"NO I'M NOT DEAD! WHY IN THE WORLD DID YOU DO THAT I WAS TRYING TO COMPLIMENT YOU AND YOU--" he shouted as he sat up quite abruptly. Suddenly, he clutched his right arm. Visible beads of sweat started to trickle from his face.

What's with him? I kicked him in the FACE not the ARM.

Suddenly, she remembered a fairy tale her grandmother had told her or a brave prince whose right arm was infected by a demon. When he got angry or violent, the infection would spread.

ACK! What if that's him? Mint began to freak out. She fell to her knees and started bowing countless times. "I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorry!" she shouted over and over as she nearly hit her head on the floor.

The Man gave her a strange look. He put his hand on her shoulder. "It's OK"

His RIGHT hand.

"BAH!" Mint scuffled backward across the room and into the wall. When she stopped, she viciously brushed her shoulder off.

He gave her another strange look. Does she know? he thought. No... there's just no way. NO way...

"Hey... you! Tell the lady I'll take this!" Mint said loudly, not sure what to call him.

" She'll take it, " he told the vendeuse.

The older woman nodded and asked," Will you be paying? "

" NO. She will, " he responded. "She says you have to pay."

Mint dropped a couple gold coins on the counter.

The vedeuse looked at the coins in surprise.

Mint grabbed her clothes and that man's right hand. It certainly didn't feel cursed. He was (once again) dragged violently through the streets of Ephlesia.

"I'm sober now, I can navigate on my own," he yelled to her.

She let go abruptly. "S-sorry.. i didn't realise...you... I thought maybe..."

He put a hand on her head and patted her. "Its OK. Whatever. I need to get back to work."

And before she could say another word, he had disappeared like a specter in the streets.

"Goodbye," she said in a weak voice.

Author Note Funtime!

Wow, what fun this is! I'm a writing machine! And so many references to so many things! I'd give you a cookie if you could find em all out! You probably won't get some of them though, beause I am a cunning snake!  
On to the reviews! (Thus far from August Third, 2005)  
OK Class! Lets hear what you have to say:  
Relic-Angel-  
"That was pretty good, I must say! Not that much of a plot or anything, but you're getting there. Great intro for chapter 1! Write more!"

Not much of a plot? I'm deeply disturbed by the fact that you think I would write a plotless fanfiction! And insulted! You need to pay attention to detail. Just because it isn't RueMint doesn't mean it is plotless. Detention of doom.

Blue Selene:  
"I LOVE the fic. Something about it is really addictive. :P. Really strange question: were you talking about this fic on Neoseeker? If so, yep, unusual pairing. But it's good in a way to see something other that MintRue. hides

Keep it up!"

I've been found out. This fanfiction is a drug, and you all who have read it must come back again and again for MORE. Oh yeaah, and I am the artist formerly known as RuecianFanGirl. Cookie for you.

Marowe:  
"really weird...but good! i like ur writing style, and the story is interesting so far. keep it goin fool!."

A fool, me? Ahahaha! Thank you for appreciating its weirdness, UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE! evil glare! I kid I kid!

Imagine everything that I just said in a high pitched Willy Wonka voice...

Preview to next chapter:

Mint gets into an accident on the streets of Ephlesia and "That Man" seems less and less mysterious! What will happen next time on...

DUN DUN DUN!  
"This Is It?"


	3. Chapter 3

**This Is It? Chapter Three**

_AN: This Chapter is where it really becomes Nonsense mostly. Its got all kinds of my attempts at being an awesome writer and failing miserably. It doesn't make sense now, but it will later. Snooker._

She became aware of the crowds flooding the road very suddenly as they began to run into her. She stumbled, tripped, fell to the ground and began to feel many booted feet fall all around her, on her, and hearing much cursing. It had been like slow motion. She felt her knees buckle, getting hit by the arms and bodies and carts of those walking against her. The dusk filled her nostrils and mouth as she hit the ground. And then she felt it. I'm going to die... to die here all alone, like an ant underfoot.

She felt the heavy boots skid her and kick her and break her from the inside.

" GOD DAMMIT YOU STUPID PEOPLE! " she heard an infuriated shout in the foreign tongue. " Can't you see your trampling her? "

She looked up to see the silhouette of the man. "I can't leave you alone for five minutes, can I?" he asked. His voice cracked. She felt warm water touch her cheek.

"Why are you so stupid?" he questioned her in a rhetorical fashion.

"Whu..what happened?" she sputtered.

"You fell... Its such a busy city... the people barely noticed... and they stepped all over you... Your bleeding... can you take a deep breath?"

She tried, and sputtered, hacking and wheezing. Blood bubbled over her lips.

"Shit... shit shit shit..." he said. Then, shouting to the crowds, he reprimanded, " Do you see what you did? She's dying! "

"What... what's going on...?" Mint could barely get out.

"It'll be all right... It'll be all right... I promise you..." he said, but Mint felt he wasn't talking to her at all, but some long forgotten memory that had resurfaced in wake of this accident.

He scooped her up in his arms and started to run.

"Close your eyes," he advised.

"Why...?"

"Just do it!"

She complied.

Suddenly, it seemed she was no longer being jostled by the shocks that his footfalls sent through the body. It in fact felt as though they were flying.  
Then all the lights went out, and all suspicion dropped from her mind.

"Your highness! Please! You must stay!" the man from the court said. That... Doll Master.

Mint was a little girl, small bushy pigtails and a round face covered in sticky sugar. She wiped her sticky hands on her ornate blue dress. She peered down on the spectacle from the window of her huge red and gold room into the courtyard.

Doll Master stood there, but also her mother. She had her arms folded, her back to him. He had his mask off, a desperate look on his face.

"Please your highness... please. Don't leave me here, not now. Don't leave the kingdom," he said.

"Hmph. It doesn't matter what you say, Ruecian. I'm leaving. Even if you begged me on your hands and knees and swore yourself to be my slave forever till death do us part, I still wouldn't stay," her mother scorned.

Doll Master fell to his knees ad lowered his face to the ground.

"Please, Tessia. Please listen to me. I would give up everything for you. I would give up my duty to my father for you. I would give you the DewPrism itself if you would just stay," he begged, tears in his voice.

"You big baby. I have to leave. I suffer from an ailment that not even the Dewprism can cure, I'm sure," the queen said viciously.  
Doll Master began to sob.

My god, though the old Mint in the little Mint's body. How did I never remember this before?

"My god Tessia... I need you... I need you so much you'll never even know..."

"I can well see how much you need me. I can tell you this right now, my dear. I can't stay. The disease I have... there's nothing anyone here could do about it. There's nothing you could do about it. And besides," she muttered brutally, "I could care less what happens to you. Or anyone in this good forsaken kingdom for that matter. But you especially. Your so clingy. Its disgusting. I wanted you because I was sick of my husband, but you thought I loved you. Its so sad, isn't it, when the concubine finally realizes that its not a person but a thing. You will always just be an object of pleasure to me."

She walked away slowly.

Doll Masters mouth hung open. "I-I...-"

"Save it for someone else, Ruecian. Someone who needs you. You'll know when you find them," the queen left forever.

Mint shot up in bed. She was in the dark.

As her eyes adjusted, she could see around her-- it was a medium-sized room with stucco walls and wood floors. There was one window that was open, letting the cool, Ephlesian air flow in, filling her lungs.

The only furnishings where the bed she lay on and a box with a stubby, melty candle on it. A couple of crumpled books lay in the corner, along with a few loose pieces of paper. laying against the wall was that man, his mouth open, the top half of his face shrouded in his cloak as usual.

This must be where he lives, she thought.

Wait a second.

I was dying.

I'm alive.

What the hell happened?

She looked down and saw that she had been bandaged up. That didn't explain why she wasn't in pain.

I'll have to ask him when he wakes up.

She looked at him. So peaceful, so gentle.

You'll know when you find them, her mother had said to Doll Master.

The gentle, needy Doll Master she had never known.

What if that line applies to me? What if I find someone, someone lonely, someone without a past, someone who had no future. Someone like that man... That man who she had needed so much.

OH MY GOD, WHAT THE FUCK AM I SAYING. I must be delirious from that accident. I'm a frigging princess and he's a frigging translator in a bar. He gets sauced before noon. He's audacious and annoying and loud.

But... he does care about me.

Before she knew it, she was on her feet.

I've got one chance at this without him noticing.

She walked over to him, and crouched next to him.

She snapped a couple times next to his ears. He snored.

She clapped loudly. Snore.

Poked his face. Snore.

Pull his hair. Snore.

Laugh maniacally. Snooker. (quick a/n I think this is a typo, but it sounds awesome, so I decided to keep it)

She moved her face close to his and put her hands on his cheeks. Slowly, she closed her lips around his. She kissed him deeply, her eyes closed.

She felt arms embrace her and the lips under hers kiss back. Mint was drawn closer, the arms around her ran down the curves of her body.

Next thing she knew, he was on top or her, kissing her, holding her, running his fingers through her hair.

Oh my god. What am I doing?

Mint kicked away and scuttled across the room.

He rolled onto his back and started to grope the air for her. His eyes where closed and he seemed out of it.

"Wait... come back... Don't leave me... come back..." his voice was distant.

He was still asleep.

Huge-ass sigh of relief.

Snore.

Deciding that that was one of the worst ideas in her life so far (right after trying to see what would happen she stuck her hand in a pond of hungry barracudas, but that's a different tale) so instead she drew her attention to the piles of books lined up against the wall. Some of the title where _The Life and Achievements of Valen _and _Treasure Hunter's Guide to Ephlesia._

However, one caught her attention more than others. It made her think of something Rue said. Something Valen said.

_The Legend of the Dolls of Valen_ by Louchie Bassey.

She picked it up and clumsily made her way to the table. Lighting the candle with her magic, she began to read the book.

Suffice it to say, the intro was long and boring. She got on to the table of context.

_The List of Dolls in Current Existence, As of Rotation 1300, the Year of the Death of Valen, page 145  
_

She quickly skipped to the page. It was covered in profiles of the dolls. Each one had a very detailed sketch of the doll.

Rue was the first one.

_Notes on Rue: Rue is considered by Valen and most of his other servants to be the perfect specimen amongst the dolls. While his intellect and memory are lacking_  
(got that right, thought Mint)_, his understanding of his power is abnormally high. His physical strength is rivaling that of Atlas. However, it is understanding of human emotion and his ability to experience it himself is what impresses Valen himself.  
_

Rue is always the popular one, even in this stupid old book.

She flipped through the pages, glancing down at the names: Ruenis, Ruesar, Ruetaw, All these stupid "Rue" names. But one stood out. One from her dream.  
Ruecian.

It was on a page that bore the heading _Broken Dolls.  
_

_ Notes on Ruecian: It is questionable why Ruecian was kept alive. He was consider the hell hound of the Valen dolls. His right arm grows to enormous size when he is angered or needs to fight. Some say Ruecian was once a human, but Valen denounces that as a false rumor. Despite the fact he was a broken doll, his attachment to his master was unwavering.  
_

"Hey."

She heard a weak voice from across the room. That man was awake.

"I see your well, " he said. "Whatcha reading? Something of mine, I assume."

"You shouldn't assume... because when you assume, you make an ass out of--"

"Why are you looking at that page?" his hushed voice cut her off.

She turned and gave him a sideways glance. Come to think of it, he did look a lot like the illustration...

"Why do you ask?" she posed in return, suddenly curious.

"Well, er... who me? I knew him once... Never mind..." he trailed off and proceeded to stare at the floor.

"I had a dream about him last night..."

'What?"

"I said I had a dream about him... well, it was more of a memory... from when I was younger. It seemed almost unreal. He was crying. For the longest time I didn't know there was anything but greed inside him. But he seemed so human then," she explained, thinking back to the crystal clear image still fresh in her mind.

"I had a dream last night too... It seemed like my eyes were glued shut... but someone started kissing me, and when I tried to kiss back, they drew away... It was confusing."

"Are you sure that all you tried to do?" she asked in a bit of a disgruntled way.

"Yeah... why?"

"Never mind."

He looked at her quizzically now as a she blushed and stared at the floor.

"I better get back to the Inn," she muttered almost under her breath.

"The Inn?" he asked. Then he proceeded to say in a rather nonchalant way. "You could stay here if you want to."

"Here?"she spat harshly. "With you?"

"Oh crap. I didn't mean it that way... I would sleep on the floor. I wouldn't touch you. I promise... But I mean, it's free if you stayed here--"

She giggled and interrupted him. "It sounds like a good idea, actually. I need to save my money for more important things."

"More important things? What, like male prostitutes or something?" he said with a smirk.

She felt heat rise into her face and anger rise into head.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?"

She kicked him across the room in a way similar to what she had done the day before. However, this time, he recovered with laughter.

"Hey, I hear Princesses have needs sometimes!"

"Well, maybe YOU'RE a male prostitute who wants me?"

"What's desirable about you, may I ask?"

Mint stopped short. She stopped chasing him around the room as she had been doing previously while they argued.

The man noticed, and stopped smiling. "What's wrong, Mint?"

She walked forward and clung to the front of his cloak.

"Did you mean that?"

"What?"

"Did you mean that I was undesirable?"

His face flushed and she could tell he was fumbling with a response. He knelt down so he could explain to her face to face. "Well, its just that you... you're so... young..."

"I'm not as young as I look! I'm eighteen years old!" she started to cry.

"Well, who are you trying to impress? I mean, if you wanted to be desirable, you would have picked out a different dress. But no, you decided to be modest. And it suits you. If you wanted to impress, say, me for example, you would stop kicking me whenever I poke fun at you."

"But... am I ugly?"

"Mint... Mint.. You're not ugly!"

"But you said that---"

"I never said you were ugly."

"But you said..."

"Do you want to know ugly? You should see some of the things I've seen. OK? Your're not ugly. I've been around for longer than I'd like to relate, so--" he was  
cut off.

"What's your name?" she asked, her previous sadness forgotten.

"My name?I didn't ever tell you?" he seemed to hesitate.

"Nope... never..."

"They call me Aimé," he said with a small smile.

"Amy? isn't that a girl's name?"

"Not Amy, you uncultured girl. Its an Ephlesian name. The spell it 'A' 'I' 'M' 'E accent aigue'," he explained like a disgruntled teacher.

Mint made a face that said "I don't give a shit."

"And it's a man's name. Otherwise I wouldn't have it."

"I was asking because you look very familiar. You look like the man I had a dream about last night," she spat. "Are you sure you're name isn't 'R''U''E'"C''I'"A'N with no accent'?"

"Last time I checked... no," he retorted.

If he's lying, thought Mint, he's damn good it.

"His image is still Crystal clear in my mind. Why don't you take off that cloak you have on?"

"You don't want to what's under here, believe me, so don't even ask. You need to trust me on this on, because I'm not lying," he said, straight faced, without a waver.

"Yeah right..." she began to walk to the door.

He grabbed her left hand with his right. Se could feel an odd throbbing there.

"Do I stutter?"

"No..."

"I'm not lying, please look at me..."

She did. He seemed so sincere, yet it was so hard to believe him.

His eyes where so desperate. He seemed to collapse on her and embraced her, using her skinny body as a support system.

"Amy! Amy! Ye gods, let go of me!" she shouted as his weight nearly dragged her to the floor.

"Please stay. I won't make fun of you anymore." He sniffed in a very childish way. "Hey, wait... you called me Amy."

"Yeah yeah, mispronunciations... I can't pronounce your fancy dancy foreign name."

"Its OK... Amy is all right with me... as long as your not convinced I'm this 'Ruecian' character..."

Mint smiled. "If you let go of me, I'll go get my stuff. I'll come back."

"You promise?"

OH MY GOD he looks like a little wounded puppy.

"I promise."

He stopped clinging to her.

She ran like the dickens.

After she was gone, Aimé stared at the door. slowly he turned away and flopped on his bed. He pressed his fist into the mattress.

"Why am I so stupid?" he asked himself in a monotone. "Why am I even doing this. I don't like her! It wouldn't make sense if I did... Seeing what she's done...

Dammit, I'm talking to myself again... Do I really need company so badly I'd resort to...to her?"

Author Note Funtime: OHOHO! THE PLOT THICKENS LIKE GRAVY! Well, I rewrote on scene in there like five times... It kept coming out crappy as all gedda. Gedda is war. So yeah.. I've got like the whole thing written almost (means I'm about half way done. I'm a compulsive liar or something) so I'm just releasing these things periodically after reciaving three reviews.  
Speaking of which:

Review from Relic-Angel  
"I'm sorry I said that about the plot. I'm SO sorry! I was being lazy and wrote stuff I didn't mean. NOW, I am paying attention to your story and I think it's very interesting and very creative of you! I've just noticed when you wrote down that the man has a desise spreading on his arm, did you get that from the Princess Mononoke anime?"

DUDE! no need to take me so seriously! You need to understand that I am FULL OF SHIT. I was goofing with you, thats why i gave you detention. You got the less obscure refernce! YAY! supah-cookeh! The other one is for a Rocky Horror Picture Show audience partisipation thing-- "the homesick aborted fetus" line. Because Rocky Horror PWNZ, and because I'm proably the only person in the theater who shouts that line, and everyone cracks up.

Review from Blue Selene:  
"Mwahaha...cookie.

Your portrayal of Mint is great - the thing in the bar was (awkwardly) funny. Keep on writing!"  
Yes... cookies... :snaps out of it suddenly:  
Erm, yeah, I uh... Akward is my middle name!

Review by Marowe:  
"Fool is a compliment in my head! lauhgs manically yep...i like this chapta more than tha first! I like how you portray Mint. She makes me laugh XD weirdness is good, my friend. without weird, where is the normal? Oo wtf i'm not making sense to myself even...anyways, I like it! Keep it up, dattebayo!

ps: willy wonka rocks."  
Doesn't he? hug That who spiel makes sense.. in a strange... senseless way...

AND NEW! From PRoyalAngel

"Who is that man? looks around

Ur story is very well-written."

You'll find out soon enough, and when you do, oh man, you guys are gonna all shoot me.

I forgot to thank you all last time! I really appreciate the support and reviews! Tell your friends, family, and pets! I can't give these things away!  
So, until next time, you keep sending me your reviews, and I will continue to belittle you :watches some Bjork Music videos:


	4. Chapter 4

**THIS IS IT? Chapter 4  
**

_An: um... yeah... just read it. Please._

Mint stood outside the tavern huffing hard. Who did he think he was?

He thinks he's Amy. If I stay with him... what would he do if she stayed with him? He was so emotionally fragile, it was disturbing.

Maybe I won't go back, she thought blandly.

But she felt as though something was prodding her, pushing her to go back.

She walked in a dreamlike state back to her room in the Inn. Time was like honey. Her whole world felt the same way it had when she had fallen to the ground. Before she could remember walking there, she was in her room in the Inn, staring at the well-made comforter that lay atop her mattress. She glared at it as tears welled up into her eyes.

Mint collapsed onto the bed, and slowly slid to her knees on the ground. She clutched the bedding.

All she could think about was her mother. It made her cry harder than she had ever cried before for her mother.

Maybe it was what she had said in the dream...

"Someone who needs you. You'll know when you find them..."

Someone who needs me? He needs me... it seems...

But her mother seemed so cold and unfeeling. What was she sick with? She said she had an ailment none could cure.

NEVER MIND.

She proceeded to pick up her possessions and slung her little knapsack over her shoulder.

Mint walked down the stairs and to the counter of the Inn. The lady who worked at the counter spoke broken East heaven, so Mint had no trouble cutting short her reservations. Though the Innkeeper did give her a severely displeased look.

She could barely control herself as she walked across the dusty ground, through the dusty crowds and into the Tavern.

He sat at a stool at the bar with a mug. But when the door opened, he looked over. His entire face lit up.

He ran over to her like a little child and grabbed one of her hands.

"You came back!" he beamed.

"Course I did. Did you think I would break my promise?"

He smiled a weak smile. "I kinda got spooked before.. you didn't have to come back if you didn't want to. I tend to take rejection pretty well."

"You didn't take it very well before..."

He made a face.

"Plus, I already canceled my reservations. So get used to me," she spat as she handed her bags to him.

The next couple days went by quickly; Mint hardly noticed them pass. She would wake up daily and explore, buying random trinkets and souvenirs (I can't wait to show Amy this! I wonder how this hat would look on him.)

It surprised her how much she thought of him. He was usually down in the bar by the time she woke up, but she still saw him quite often. Sometimes, she'd fine herself in deep political discussions with him. He knew a lot about East Heaven's political situation. He also seemed to know a lot about her situation.

In one instance, they were sitting in his room, side by side, late in the evening.

"Wha--?" she gasped. "You know I was thrown out of East Heaven?"

He grinned. "I heard you ran away."

"What else did you hear?" she scoffed.

His description highly resembled that of the rumors Mel had told her about. "Your reputation proceeds you," he smirked as she started to mock-sob.

"Everyone hates me," she scowled.

"I don't hate you," he smiled and put his arm around her.

She felt heat rush to her face.

"AH! Get away! PERSONAL SPACE ISSUES!" she pushed him away.

He coughed,"You seem to hate me though"

She didn't respond immediately. "I wonder a little about that."

Aimé gave her a hurt glance and stood up.

"I think I left something downstairs," he said as he made a move for the door.

"No, wait, Amy..." she said with a panicked look on her face. "I didn't mean it. It just you kinda freaked me out a little."

He didn't turn around to face her, but he had paused, leaning against the door with one hand on the handle.

"I'm sorry," Mint said, firmly, sincerely. "Your a nice man. I don't hate you."

Aimé took his weight off the door, turned to her, and gave her a half-hearted grin. "I think I left something downstairs," he choked out. He threw open the door and walked downstairs.

She stared after him, hearing his footsteps and the sound of laughing from the tavern. The sound of acknowledgement as Aimé entered. The way the door creaked as it swung slowly back. The footsteps that didn't came back up the stairs until Mint was deep asleep in the warm folds of a bedspread that didn't belong to her, in a bed that was not her own.

It was late. The stars were muted by the bright full moon. The tavern was desolate. Even the bartender slept now. All that was awake was one man, sitting, alone, in the endless darkness, as smoke coiled up from his recently extinguished candle. He stare off into the blackness as though something was there, something that sought to take him away from the world he was in.

Not long ago, this man would have gladly surrendered. However, there was some reason, some purpose he now felt her never had before. If he was to submit to the darkness now, he truly would be worthless, and his life would have been wasted.

"It's her, isn't it?" he could almost hear the voice say. "She almost died the way that I did. Is that why you care so much?"

"It's got nothing to do with you... so shut up..." he felt the whisper slowly escape his lips. It was the whisper of a man dying.

"Nothing to do with me? Why ever would you return to this place if it had nothing to do with me?"

"She's different... she isn't... she's not.."

"She's not what?"

"...not the princess she once was."

He got up, and walked away from the bar. "So shut up."

"I remember when you loved me. Why do you hate me?"

"I don't hate you. I hate what you do to me."

His feet then came up the staircase to his room.

Aimé pushed open the partially-ajar door. The smokey darkness had folowed him, it seemed, up the stairs. It followed him into the room, and across the floor. It followed his cold hand as it gently touched her warm cheek.

"Mint," he whispered. "Mint..."

Mint opened her eyes slowly. She squinted, trying to make out who it was.

"It's Aimé," he almost answered her thoughts.

"Amy... what do you want...?" she asked in a soft tone.

"It's dark..." he said, his voice quaking. "It's dark and I'm afraid..."

She sat up and touched his right arm. He was trembling.

"You sound like a little child..." She smiled, but he couldn't tell. He could barely see her. "Do you want to sleep next to me? When I was young, that always helped to sleep next to someone when I was afraid."

He nodded and clambered clumsily into bed next to her.

They lay next to each other, niether one looking at the other, both staring at the cieling, as if they could almost see the stars so faded with the light of the moon.

Mint touched his hand. It shook like a leaf in late Autumn. She clasped it, and laced her fingers in his. "There's nothing to be afraid of... I'm here for you."

He smiled. "I'm here for you too..." he slowly whispered to her.

She could feel his breath slow as he fell asleep.

However, she could not sleep or think for some hours thereafter.

_Authors notes: How romantic and fruity. :Dies: Well, I was gonna update this a while ago, but I...um.. forgot. As you've probably noticed, this chapter is way shorter than the other ones. That's because there is a break in the story and here is where it is. Yes, it is short for a good reason._

_I've decided not to answer the comments anymore cuz somebody told me that its not legal to do on the site... and I became afraid that i would have to look for my own hosting! Think of the fright!_

_People keep saying Aimé is Ruecian. Perhaps he is a doppleganger? Perhaps he is someone else in disguise? You may never know! Hm... I'm not at liberty to say, but don't get your hopes up. Remember that Mint tried to kill Ruecian-- and this guy is on Mint like white on rice. Something fishy? Why yes, and thats why I'm a plottwister. You won't even know what hit you when you finish this fanfic. It will probably be your parents or spouse with a brick, telling you to stop reading dirty fanfiction and mow the lawn. (If you get that, I commend thee.)_

_A recently saw "Sky High" while it was predictable and kind of goofy, I enjoyed it immensly. However, I was so pissed off when Layla didn't end up with Warren Peace. Warren's way cooler than Will. Oh well, I just ruined the ending for you, but thats not the important part anyway, so don't get angry at me. I smell a fanfiction coming on. Wish me luck!_

_Thanks for all of the reviews and love, I apperciate all of your suport, even if I insult you._


	5. Chapter 5

**THIS IS IT? Chapter five**

_AN: This chapter contains a lot of plot points, but also sexual themes. _ _Please read it despite that. And don't ask to many questions._

Upon waking, Mint found Aimé still asleep next to her. They both were laying in the same position that they had fallen asleep in. She pulled her hand from his, and sat up. After sliding out of bed, she fixed her skirt, and pulled her golden, engraved brush through her long red hair.

She went down the stairs and into the tavern. It wasn't very busy at all.

It must be early, she thought. She sat at the bar. And looked at the bartender.

Crap. I can't speak Ephlesian!

"Don't worry." the bartender said in a thick accent. "I speak East Heaven."

...?

"I speak your language. Do you forget how to speak your language?"

"No, I just... Why did you employ Amy then?"

"At first, I have very small, worthless tavern. Cheap drinks, cheap foods. The Aimé comes along and he is always getting drunk and without the sense. He is soon without money. I have to make him deal to get rid of his debts. I cannot speak the East Heaven yet. So then I am thinking, 'He could be translating for me!'" The bartender said with enough grammar malfunctions to choke a horse. "But Aimé is always falling back into debt, so I must keep him around. Until he is able to be alone. I do not trust him to be independent. I am afraid he will kill himself."

"Kill himself?"

"You see, when he first came here, he spoke of a little girl..."

"Little girl?"

"Hey, Mint, your hair is down..." she heard a weak voice from the staircase. Aimé stood there, looking very tired.

"Uhh.. yeah, it is. I guess I forgot to put it up. But I'll do that later... can you order--" she began, and was cut off.

"I don't know, Mint... I think you should put it up now," he said. He said it so forcefully.

Under most circumstances, she would have flung whoever was ordering her around across the room and then beat them senseless, however, there was an odd, overbearing feel. Like her entire mind was being forced to the ground and raped.

"I left my tie thingies up in the room," Mint said hastily, trying to get free from him.

He held out his hand, and in them were two hair ties.

She could almost hear herself gulp. Pulling her hair back, she glowered at him.

"Happy now?" she asked in a disgruntled note, because the sudden air of power had left the atmosphere. He gave her a quick smile.

" May I have a word?>" Aimé said to the bartender with the most plastic smile Mint had ever seen.

" Most certainly.>"

Mint gave Aimé and the bartender a smile smile of goodbye, and walked out into the street. Aimé did not seem to be pleased this morning. Perhaps it had to do with his fright the night previous?

"Honestly, though, who is afraid of the dark at the proper age of... however the hell old he is..." she muttered out loud.

As she walked down the street, she passed many strange stores and emporiums, but one in particular, which she had ignored in the utmost, we were an old friend and companion of hers rested his head at that moment.

The title of the shop, more of a whorehouse, was simply "VIXENS" in large, pealing letters.

Pale faced, unconscious Rue lay sprawled across huge poofy cushions, several of the young women crawling on the ground around him.

"He's the first we've had in months," one small brunette said. She was most obviously an East Heaven-er by nature.

"He belongs to the new girl," said a girl with a thick accent that hinted lineage neither in East Heaven nor Ephlesia. "She was the one who found him."

"I dare say he'll be gone if we use him just a little... you know... urges..." one long faced blonde girl slowly and sexily let escape her lips, and she almost slid up to him, lightly touching an area of fabric that hid something most private.

Rue let a small noise escape his lips.

"That's quite enough, everyone."

A woman with long, brown hair that was braided too her mid-back had walked in.

The long faced blonde looked up and hissed, "Kirielle. You're back."

Kirielle smirked and said, "So it would seem. Anyone else come in since I was gone?"

"The only come in this place is ours, and its self loved out of us," the small brunette bitterly interjected.

Kirielle made a face. "That was more than I really needed to know."

"Come off it, Kirielle, you've been here for almost a year! We're prostitutes! We think about sex!" someone in the room shouted.

"As do I, but I believe there is more to life," the new arrivee spat.

"Not for a prostitute, there isn't."

"That's your opinion."

"That's a fact, deary."

There was silence. Kirielle quickly snarled, "Out! I found him, so get out."

The girls left.

Kirielle stared down at Rue for quite a while, as a crooked smile danced across her lips.

She fell to her knees, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, and pulling his head near her face, his hat falling off.

"So, he was right, you were his brother," Kirielle whispered. She slapped his face a bit.

Rue's eyes opened and he stared murkily upward. "Cl...Claire...?"

"You stupid bastard, I'm not Claire!" Kirielle shouted.

He sputtered a bit and looked at her long and hard.

"Who...?" he asked.

"You knew me," she snarled, "As Mode Master."__

Authors notes: It was my birthday the other day! I turned 15!  
Anyhow, on to the story. I'm so happy this was the chapter next. We get to find out where Rue spends his recreational time! That's right, dear readers, you notions that Rue was Aimé have been thoughtlessly shunned. I love this job... hahahhaha... SHOT DOWN! ahem... I don't mean to be so mean but GODDAMN it is fun.  


_On a more serious note, please please please keep New Orleans and those guys down south and east in your thoughts or (if you do this) prayers. My family roots are down in New Orleans. I do not live there, but I hope that if you do, you are safe, dry, and hydrated.   
Back again to my normal, non-nice self, I hope all of you are sitting on the edge of you seats for the next chapter. I know i am._


	6. Chapter 6

**THIS IS IT? Chapter 6**

_Authors note:doodododoooooo_

Mint returned very late in the afternoon, starving (she had forgotten to eat breakfast) and sweaty. When she walked in, she found Aimé sitting at the bar, looking disappointed.

"You've been gone for quite a while," he said weakly, as though he were on the verge of tears, or very disappointed in her.

"Yeah... sorry..."

"Have you eaten anything?"

"No..."

"Then you should eat." He pushed his plate of food towards her. Nothing had been eaten, it seemed, but it had all been mixed together.

"Can I have a new fork?" she asked.

" Fork, " Aimé said, sounding thoroughly depressed.

She was given a fork.

Oh god, this is horrible, Mint thought as she surveyed the area. Aimé looked like something out of a nightmare-- pale, eyes circles with grey skin from lack of sleep, his thin frame leaning over the bar, clothed in tight black, with an apple hat lopsided on his head. He looked miserable. How can you be miserable when you've got cool clothes? was all Mint could think.

"Hey," Mint said, as she put a little forkful of Aimé's food into her mouth. "When was the last time you ate?"

He didn't respond for a moment, as though he thought it preposterous that someone would actually talk to him. "Who me?" he asked her in a stunned tone.

"No, that Amy sitting on your lap," was her response.

"I'm not going to tell you," he said stubbornly.

"Why not?" she sourly inquired.

"Because you'll just get worried."

"I'm worried now, thanks to that. Tell me."

He hesitated, looking over to her with a face that said 'You aren't going to like this.'

"A week," he admitted.

"A WEEK?" Mint shrieked. "You're going to die! Here, eat this!"

She attempted to shove food down his gullet. His hands came to his defenses, but they could not hold back her powerful feeding skills.

In the end, he was stuck nearly choking on the food she had forced upon him.

" You didn't really just do that, this you? " he asked, in East Heaven, though barely passable by her standards.

"Oh no, I did," she grinned most evilly.

He chewed slowly with a contemptuous look on his face. As he swallowed, he had the most pained look on his face that she had ever seen.

"Oh come now, you big baby! It wasn't all that bad," Mint scoffed while rolling her eyes. What a weirdo.

He looked at her in mock- somberness. "It was only bad because it was you who gave it to me."

"I'll kill you."

At least he's happy, Mint thought.

At least she's happy, Aimé thought.

"Only if you promise to put roses on my grave. Otherwise I'll go get killed by someone else," he grinned.

What is wrong with me?

"The hell you would!"

He's smiling... I'm making him smile...

"You gotta catch me if you wanna kill me!"

She's kinda cute when she's angry.

"Oh, I'll do more than catch you!"

Yes... I will do more than catch you...

"Then what are you waiting for?" he laughed and got up, making a move towards the staircase.

She grabbed his hand as he got up.

I'm not letting you go this time.

"Run like hell, buddy."

He did; he ran for the staircase, and Mint followed quickly after.

It seemed like in no time, they were in the room.

Aimé had his back against wall, pretending to be trapped. Pretending to be afraid... or so it seemed.

What am I doing? What is SHE doing?

Mint looked at him with a smirk on her face, and sauntered over to him.

"I've got you cornered."

"No, you've got me walled."

There was a long silence. Mint stared at Aimé. Aimé stared at Mint.

Everything changed about the room-- the aura it held before, of light, childish playfulness had been replaced with a heavy, new one. One Mint had never experienced before.

Desire.

Aimé felt his feet walking towards her. She watched, and did not move.

Before she knew what was happening, he had embraced her. She stared blankly into his chest.

"Thank you for saving me last night... There were bad things in the darkness..."

"I didn't do anything--"

"You did more than anybody else." There was pain in his voice. He drew back from his embrace with her.

"I didn't do any--"

He had kissed her.

Kissed her.

What in the FUCK am I doing? he thought to himself.

"You're being honest with yourself," said the voice.

Mint couldn't function. She couldn't move. She couldn't think anything beyond HOLY SHIT.

She felt his right hand gently touch her cheek-- it was warm.

Slowly, she pulled her arms around his neck and not very confidently kiss him back. She felt suddenly very connected to him-- it was an odd feeling. She could almost feel a certain lust being pushed into her soul.

She broke away hastily, almost disgusted. He recoiled like a shocked monkey.

CREEP!

He was blushing furiously and leaning against the wall like a shot man.

"I--I..." was all he could say.

"I think you should ask permission before you go off kissing random girls!" she nearly shrieked.

"But you're NOT random!" he shrieked back, looking almost murderous. He kneaded his eye with his palm and slid down the wall, looking like a man dying.

"Yeah, but you should have asked first!"

"I knew you would say no."

He was now motionless, propped up against the wall like a corpse.

"How do you know that?"

"I know."

He was entirely too right, she knew.

She walked over to where he sat. "Do you remember when we met in the tavern?"

He looked up a her with a sullen expression on her face. "Of course."

"I got really pissed off at you... and I crawled up on your lap... like this." She sat on his lap and looked into his eyes.

"I remember."

"Fuck this," she said, and moved her face close to his. "You have your permission."

It was all he needed. He pressed his lips against hers. But the kiss changed from the innocence it once new, and grew fiery and passionate, his tongue and hers caressing each other. He embraced her almost violently. She could tell that if she didn't stop this soon, it would develop into something a lot more. This time she broke away less quickly.

"I can't."

He gazed her in the way that one gazes at the sea or in the way a dead body with its eyes open gazes upon those who live-- full of wonder as to why one can be so free while they are chained.

"I know," he said. "I knew it all along."

"Then why--"

"There are a lot of things that can't happen that I still try."

There was silence.

"Like...?"

"I'd rather not discuss it."

For once, Mint felt it best not to pry.

There was silence.

"Are you hungry?" Aimé asked.

"Not particularly."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

There was silence.

"Are you going to get up?" Aimé asked.

"Should I?"

"Only if you want to."

"I don't."

There was silence.

Mint rested her head against his chest.

He loosened his grip on her.

They feel asleep, one first, the other not far after. Which one fell to slumber before the other, they were never quite sure. It didn't quite seem to matter.

_Authors Notes: Sorry this took so long. I'm LAZY AS HELL. I've also been having a fun, active, exciting month of September! That last sentence was entirely a lie! Anyhow, I hope you all you alls like this last chapter, with all its fruity romance. I personally think hugging is more romantic than kissing._

_Speaking of stuff, I've been reading Memoirs of a Geisha. Its really good. Maybe some of its well-written goodness will rub off on me. Until then, you'll have to deal with this crap. Sorry. shrug_

_Anyhow, as always, I appreciate your reviews and just the fact you haven't shot me!_


	7. Chapter 7

**THIS IS IT?**

**Chapter seven**  
_  
_

Aimé woke up first, though, that was for sure.

He looked down upon the sleeping form laying on top of him.

"You see?" he whispered.

"Oh yes. Some big time sensuality," the voice commented.

"You're jealous."

"Indeed. I'm incredibly jealous of you and your sexual escapades."

"They weren't entirely sexual. We didn't.. you know..."

"Fuck? that's comforting. For a moment there, the jealousy was becoming to much to handle."

"Oh, stop being so sarcastic all the time."

"Well, your escapades, sexual or not, do not intrest me in the least. I merely came to check and see if you missed me."

"Hardly."

"Of course."

There was a knock at the door.

" Aimé? Are you good to come to work today?>" the bartenders voice through the door asked.

"Aimé? They call you Aimé? The pet name I gave you!"

"Shut up. Yes! I'll be down in a moment!>"

The voice was gone.

Mint moved a little in her sleep.

"I need to go to work now, my princess."

Mint moaned a little moan.

"You can sleep more once you get off of me."

Groooooooan...

"Please?"

GROAAAAN!

"By the way, I took the libery of taking off all of your clothes while you were alseep. It was pretty easy, your quite a heavy sleeper."

THAT woke Mint up.

"YOU DID WHAT?" Mint screamed and jumped away from him.

She patted herself down and turned around and around, mumbling, "My clothes, my clothes, where are my clothes..."

Aimé laughed. Evilly.

Waitasecond...

"YOU LYING BASTARD!"

"What, had you hoped I had?"

"No!"

"I had to get you up somehow."

Mint made a face of sheer distain.

"Yeah.. I uh, gotta go..." he said akwardly before running for the door.

She smiled after he left.

Rue woke in a similar fashion as Aimé. Only, Rue was naked, and Kirielle was beside him, also naked.

"What did I do?" Rue said quietly, staring, eyes wide, to the cieling.

Kirielle did not move, but she was awake.

"What about Claire? What am I going to tell Claire?"

Opened one eye.

"...if I ever see Claire again..."

Stupid Claire, just don't think about her, Kirielle instructed him with her mind.

"I'll think about Claire later," he spoke aloud again. She could have laughed. It was true. It was all so true.

Ruecian had kept a diary for a long time. From before she had met him, before he had kept her like a daughter. One day, she had found it, and hid it. He searched for it constantly, but she just couldn't give it back. Eventually he had given up, and she would sit up all night, reading.

I am writing in this journal for the first time, so that I can record my theories in a simialr fashion in which my father did. I shall also detail my experiences and dreams, and my own interpritations. Should anyone find this, I should hope that they can learn from my knowledge.

The first passage. It had stuck her as somewhat bigheaded, arrogant. Of course, at that point, she was sure he felt a big bigheaded. he was a Doll of Valen, the son of the greatest Aeon.  
She read on, constantly, obsessively.

I have made a horrible mistake. Amala, the girl from the village whom I felt a strong attraction to, and I have made love. She is lying next to me right now, asleep. I feel like a beast, a monster who needs her flesh to live. I have recollections of Father talking about a problem with the emotional core of we Dolls, and I believe this might be it. I'm going to leave here.

That passage had surprised her. There was no mention of him being in love, it seemed all buisness. The passage that followed.

I have left Amala. I'm quite possibly the stupidest creature on the planet. As I told her I was leaving, I could feel her heart tearing. I could feel her tears. It was horrible. She asked me if it was something she had done, and I could only reply that it wasn't, though that was perhaps a lie. She had begun to control me, almost. I now feel as though piece of me is missing.

And from this passage, and other passages of Ruecian sexual endevors, gave Kirielle the plan to avenge the very man who had given her the idea.

According to Karwyn, Mint had killed Ruecian. She knew that she would have touble getting close to Mint-- the princess could somehow see through her powers. She decided to use Rue.

You will kill Mint, she thought to Rue.

Rue suddenly became quite attentive. "Why her?"

Don't you know? She was the one who convinced Ruecian to kill Claire.

"She did!" he shot straight up.

Hasn't it ever occurred to you?

"No, no, she killed him... She couldn't've been on his side..."

She was... She killed him because he wanted too much power. She wouldn't have it... He wanted to be her king.

Rue's stomach started to turn. Mint and Ruecian?

I know, difficult to imagine. They had a very special relationship. Just ask Kirielle.

He looked over to the "sleeping" girl next to him.

"Kirielle, Kirielle, wake up... I need to ask you something," Rue pleeded as he nudged her.

"Huh...? Oh, good morning, hun," she said with a smirk.

Rue felt queezy again. "Did Mint... did Mint and Ruecian... did they ever talk?"

"What do you mean?" she asked coyly.

"Like did they... did they... have a relationship?"

"Oh yes," she lied. "But you wouldn't want to hear the details."

She pulled her legs out from under the blankets on her matress. Rue couldn't help but watch as she moved to were her clothes were lying on the ground. She was completely naked, and he could still remember the way she felt, her skin brushing against his, and how she felt from the inside...

Stop that, he thought, feeling ashamed. HE was not a bad person... why did he have this horrible want for her?

She bent over to pick up her clothes.

Oh god, he thought. Oh god, oh god.

She started to slip into her clothes, smiling to herself as she felt Rue's dirty thoughts flood into her head. This was fun. It was the most fun she had had in two years, and she'd gone into prostitusion.

"No... I do. Tell me everything."

She couldn't help but grin.

_Authors notes: Ooooo Rue, you devious scoundrel! Its not his fault Kirielle's alluring! I like that whole "Ruecian's Diary" thing.. :D I wish I could sleep with someone and then take controll of their brain. That would be amazing! Kirielle, you ne'er-do-well harlot!_

_AHAHAHAHA I love evil voice in Aimé's head... it's sort of his voice of reason, eh? Well... anyway... OO..._

_I've been kind of obsessed with naruto recently (aha how cliché) and my facorite character is ROCK LEE! So if you start noticing random refernces to him, don't be surprised._


	8. Chapter 8

**This Is It chapter 8**

Aimé sat staring at the wall in the bar. He sighed gently, his exhale more for sound than for the actual purposed of breathing.

" Aimé, whats wrong with you today?>" the bartender asked.

Aimé replied softly, " Something new... I feel loved.>"

Some of the men at the bar laughed and slammed down their kegs down. One of them let a giggle out that sounded something like, " Ya don get enough love ferm us?>"

Aimé had already stopped paying attention to them. Maybe this time... maybe...

All logic was against them- She was a princess, and he was, well, Aimé. The feminely named bar translator who drowned out his memories with liquer. She had seemed so farmiliar when he met her, but every memory she had held in his mind was fading slowly. It didn't matter to him. She had let him into her heart, which he felt no one had ever done before. There were these images of women in his mind, and they all were accompanied by the horrible feelings of guilt, pain, or pressing sorrow.

Mint was initially an image in his mind as well, just like the other ones. She was accompained by ferocious hate. He couldn't fathom why. Not anymore at least. It seemed like everyday, the memory woud go. He didn't really care anymore... he was the happiest man on the Earth.

The girl in question had left in search of her friend, Rue. She promised to be back before it got to dark.

Rue was another name that seemed ever farmiliar. It was there, just a name, and the name held a great deal or conficting emotions. Both love and hate were there, the need to protect and the need to destroy. That didn't matter either.

He leaned back against the air. His eyes were closed. The midday sunshine filtered through the thick windows and highlighted the swirling drafts of hookah smoke that waffed from the corner. It looked so beautiful today. It never had before.

" Uh, Aimé? You're going to fall over if you sit like that,>" the bartender cautioned.

Aimé had managed to recline somehow without knowing. He twisted his body around in such a manner that he fell hard on the floor.

"You deserve it, yes, you most certainly do," the voice said. It sounded slightly more insane than usual. It laughed.

Aimé felt his eyes well with tears. He whispered softly to the voice, "I don't know you... I don't know what you want anymore..."

" Aimé!>" the bartender shouted. " What's wrong with you? It was just a little fall, man!>"

"I don't want to talk to you ever again..." Aimé said under his voice, the way a dog growls when it is angry. "Do you hear me! Never again!"

The voice was silent. Aimé's eyes were wide and his face was pale. "I'm happy now, you know! I want to stay that way!"

" Aimé! Stop frightening off the customers!>"

"Very well," the voice said in a humored tone, "my dear brother... Ruecian..."

Ruecian.

Aimé vomitted.

It all came back to him as he began to dry heave. Everything he'd done, everything anyone else had done. Mint. Rue. Everyone.

He hacked an weezed and sobbed.

" Wha...>" one of the men at the bar gasped.

Aimé stood slowly, hands on his bent knees. Vomit and saliva dribbled over his chin. His entire body shook as he wobbled to his entire hieght.

"I'm sorry."

He made his way to the door that led to his room. " I'm... I'm gonna take the rest of the day off, if its alright with you...>"

Before anyone could respond, Aimé had stumbled up the stairs.

Mint had had just about enough of travelling all over this god forsaken city. It was a swirling dustbowl filled with sweat and people who couldn't understand her. She had been searching for Rue for most of the day now; the sun was setting, and the sticky sweat that dripped down her neck and into her shirt was drying cool on her flesh. At night, Ephlesia could be a Tundra if it wanted to. At this thought, she considered turning back.

Fuck that, I'm totally lost... Maybe I'll find someone nice whose house I can stay at.

She had assumed someone would be so generous because she was in a quant littlevillage with quaint little adobe houses, filled with quaint young men out in the streets playing a quaint little game of soccer... One of the quant little boys had white hair tyed back in a ponytail, and had a farmiliar voice as he shouted, " Kick it to me!>"

"Rue!" Mint shouted loudly after doing a hasty double take.

The boy looked up, puzzled. But it wasn't Rue- there was just something about him- he was too thin, too tall, his hair was too wavy, and there was something about his face.

He looked like Aimé.

But yet he had looked at the name 'Rue.'

"Hey you, who are you?" she shouted at the young man.

" I>," he began in Ephlesian, then suddenly switched to East Heaven, "I would like for you to introduce yourself first. If thats the custom where you come from."

Taken aback by his pluck and mastry of East heaven's language, she scowled. "If you must know, little brat, my name is Princess Mint of the East Heaven Kingdom, first in line for the throne!" she shouted at him.

His face turned color from pale to paler. "Mom!" he called in the direction of a nearby adobe house.

"Mom? You Ephlesians sure have weird..." Mint didn't finish. She couldn't. In the doorway of the house the boy was calling to was a woman. A woman that she knew, though she hadn't seen in some time. Perhaps 14 years.

"Tessia?" she gasped. "...Mom?"

_Authors notes: Alright you popsicles! I'm back... and yes, I did call you popsicles! I have a crush on my English teacher and I don't care who knows!_

_Anyway... on a more relevent note... I am not dead! Le GASP! Aimé's Secret idenity is revealed (OR IS IT! DUN DUN DUN) and Mint's secret... mother... is revealed. This chapter originally only went until Aimé's identity is revealed to him and he runs upstairs puking... That was sort of a nasty bit to include, eh? Sorry I hope you weren't eating anything while you read this... Well, in other news, I'm about three or four chappies ahead of you guys, and theirs going to be some fun happenings when Mint finds out... ho HO!_

_I'm sorry, i'm in a goofy mood right now... _


	9. Chapter 9

**The final chapter (s)**

_There shall be no more XP_

"Mom...?" Mint sputtered.  
"Oh my god," Tessia sputtered back. "Oh my god, Mint...?"  
Before the either of them could remember what had happened, they were inside the house. Mint was sitting at the table, across from the boy. Her brother... maybe?  
"Mint... I don't know if you know this or if you even want to know... but I... I didn't mean to abandon you... I had done some reckless things that had consequences..." Tessia began and trailed off.  
Mint felt her mind boggle, going back to the dream that she had had almost a month ago. "You did reckless things... like Ruecian?"  
Her mother gasped at the language she used. "Mint, is that any way to--"  
"Mom! Its not as though he forced you into it! You were the one who was lustful! Don't blame anyone for your actions! You left us all behind, you all but destroyed the morale of East Heaven, you caused me to grow up a weirdo who didn't give a damn about anything but herself... I think I have a right to yell!" Mint screamed as tears began to stream out her eyes. She buried her face in her hands.  
Tessia smiled a sad smile. "You're very right, Mint. But honestly... he was disgustiing and naïve... how could I love him? I had to leave because of the consiquence that would ensue... it would cause both our deaths..."  
She looked over at the young man with white hair. "He... was the consiquence."  
The boy closed his eyes... it looked like he'd heard this a hundred times.  
"Mother, may I leave the room?" he asked in a near silent voice.  
Tessia didn't respond, her face stony. The boy stayed put.  
"I'll have you know, Mom, you're little boyfriend caused East Heaven a lot of trouble."  
"What did he do?"  
"He tried to steal one of East Heaven's relics... DewPrism."  
"What happened to him?"  
"I killed him." Mint said this sentance with such venom and cruel calmness.  
Her brother let out a little noise, like a mouse being stepped on. Besides that, there was silence.  
"You did... what?"  
"I killed him. You should have seen him screaming in shame at being killed by someone like me. He was bleeding all over the place... I'm surprised that it was so easy..." Mint felt the words slide out like verbal diarehha. It sort of felt good to tell her mother and her bastard brother how Doll Master had died.  
The boy at the end of the table let out a sob.  
"Mom... can I go?" he asked, this time more fervent.  
"Be quite!" Tessia snapped at her son.  
Mint slammed her hands on the table and stood. "I had always hoped that perhaps you were loving, you know, that you actually cared. The way moms in faery tales do, until they die and the evil step mother takes over. But you know what, Tessia? You don't deserve the title of 'mother.'"  
She looked across the table to the boy. He had tears trickling down his cheeks. "I'm sorry for what I did to your dad. But... we're siblings, right? You can come hang out with me, if you want. I live above a bar."  
The little boy looked up. "...Me?"  
"Yea. C'mon, I'll let you smoke a hookah if you come," Mint smiled.  
Like that, the kid stood like a rat being lead by a piper, and they left.

It was late at night when Aimé heard the door of his room creak open.  
"Mint...?" he called out weakly into the darkness.  
"Get out of bed, we have a guest," Mint demanded. He obliged.  
"Who is it... Rue?"  
"No. He's kind of my step brother..."  
"Oh...?"  
"We'll sleep on the floor tonight."  
"We?"  
"I can't sleep in the same bed with him, he's my brother."  
"Oh...?"  
There was a bit of a struggle which ended in Aimé laying on the floor under one of his covers, with Mint clinging to him in a strange way. "I met my mother today. I... I couldn't leave him there."  
Aimé nodded. I guess I'll tell her tomorrow.

Tomorrow came.  
Mint woke with a shriek. "R-r-r-ruecian?" She screamed, looking at the man she had been hanging on to during the night.  
Aimé looked around groggily. "Fuck."  
"What do you mean, 'Fuck'?" Mint yelled even louder. "You lied to me this whole time!"  
He made a desprite face... it had been his face that gave it away in the first place, after all... the black stone that was stuck in his forehead was her chief indicator that this not the man she thought it was.  
"I...I can explain..." he fumbled over the words.  
"You better be able to explain! I kissed you and you fucking fucked my mom!"  
Aimé's face contorted into sort of a half-confused, half- sheepish face. "Yeah... but..."  
"Not to mention nearly killing me and Maya!" Mint was off her rocker now. She started pacing back and forth, muttering "ew ew ew" under her breath.  
Her step-brother was still sleeping.  
"Mint... please, give me five minutes, ok? Five, that's all I want."  
She made a sour face and sat down in front of him. "Speak, you bastard."  
He sighed. "Mint, I... Yesterday I remembered my life. And I remember you and Rue and Maya and Tessia and the Masters and... everything! Before I knew you... I remembered... oh god, Amala... and... I remembered finding my way to Ephlesia and..."  
Mint grew impatient. "And!"  
"And dying! I know, it sounds stupid. But, I... I remember... seeing a black chariot out in the desert... A white haired man came out, and I recognised him... he was me. But when he spoke, he was every voice I'd ever heard. He said, 'You've cheated me long enough, Ruecian. It's time for you to join us... all of those you killed'."  
"BS," she said.  
"But then I woke up in some weird ruins... and everything was there for a while, all my memories, but they faded..."  
Mint sighed in an exasperated way. "Well... As much as I don't want to believe you, for some reason it makes sense."  
Ruecian looked up. "What?"  
"Not the reaction you were expecting, eh? Well, I know what it is... You made it to the Ephlesian relic and regenerated yourself... but because the Ephlesian relic isn't as powerful as Dewprism, it didn't remember to fix your memory."  
He was aghast. "...What?"  
"You have an extensive library, if you ever care to read it yourself," Mint said as she pointed to the pile of books against the wall. "I've sort of not thought about Ruecian for such a long time... Maya convinced me not to hate him for what he did... according to her, it was his duty to do all that shit he did. But still... What are you're thoughts on me?"  
"I love you, Mint. You know, memories can be inviting... but some are all together scary... and I wanna live in the present from now on," he said, after the first line, his eyes dropped.  
She stared at him. He looked sincere as ever.  
"You're not, you know... lying, right?"  
"I'm not lying, I promise."  
Her head was spinning.  
"I..."  
He kissed her, gently. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her mouth.  
She leaned into him until they fell and they lay on the ground in an embrace, their faces close to each other. All that they could hear was the other's breath, and that was all that was needed in their egg of ignorant comfort, oblivious to the way the other had tried to kill the other, the way they hate hated each other so passionately. Some say the line between love and hate is slim, and Mint supposed this is what they ment... all the passion from the hatred was there... but the hate... it was gone.  
"Hey..." a voice ventured in to break the silence. Mint's little brother and Ruecian's son stared down on them. "um... Good morning..."  
Mint slowly sat up, she didn't want to, she reallly didn't want to let go of him. But she new that she had to be there for him more than her mother was.  
"Jita..." she said. Dammit, why did he have such a womanly name? "I'm... I'd like you to meet... well, this guy is your dad..."  
Ruecian had sat up only seconds after her, and he looked a little ashamed... sheepish even. "I'm sorry that I couldn't be there for you."  
Jita looked a little confused. "Mom abandoned you."  
Ruecian looked up at him in surprise.  
"She would tell me about it... whenever she was angry, she would tell me it wasn't my fault she was ruined for life... it was yours... then she'd say that that was the reason she had to leave you, because it was all your fault I had to be born..."  
The older mans face fell. He sputtered out his words in a choked fashion. "I... see... She really did hate me then..."  
Mint felt a wave of confusing feelings she hadn't ever felt before for a man at this degree. It was such a feeling of pity. He was so sad, and it made her sad. She put her arms over his shoulders and draw her body near him, so that her chest rose and fell against his back, and she coulld feel the sobs there that wanted to escape, the sobs he needed to but would never cry.  
"It doesn't matter, Ruecian... you've got me now, and I won't ever leave you," she said. I am lying in a horrible way. I have to go back to East Heaven at some point...  
"Do you promise?"  
"I do." I can't...  
He smiled. He was so childlike when he smiled in the gentle way he did, the way he had taken to smiling at her only just recently. She liked it.  
"Would you... would you marry me, Mint?"  
She was taken aback. "Don't you think... we should give it a bit of time first?"  
"What time do we need?" he said loudly, sitting up. "You've said all there is needed to be said, and that was that you'd stay with me! What more could we wait to learn!"  
His voice grew to a fevered pitch.  
"Jita... get out of here," Mint said softly. "This might get a little messy, bro."  
Jita did as told.  
"I remember why I didn't like you back in East Heaven..." Mint began, her hands trembling as magic itched to seep through. "You were so... possesive!"  
She threw her hands forward, a blast of lightning sending him through the wall into the next room over. The sparks danced on her fingers. It was good to be back, she smirked.  
A tattered Ruecian climbed through the hole in the wall his beloved had made. "It's interesting how all my marriage proposals end in this way..."  
Mint held her hands out. It was time to test that new magic Maya had taught her...  
Ruecian felt himself seize up inside, like someone got a hold of his muscles or organs. "W-what?"  
The princess's smile grew. "Maya's become a bit ruthless, don't you think? She's the one who taught me this... it allows me to manipulate whatever's underneath your skin. I could twist your intestines around your stomach or make the heart come burst out your chest, but I'd rather have a bit of fun, first..." she motioned toward the cieling, and he was yanked skyward, crashing hard into the plaster. Chunks of adobe and wood fell about her.  
Ruecian's face contorted at the pain he only had a vague memory of. This spell was Valen's-- and he had experienced it before. She let him fall to the ground, where he curled up. Slowly, while shaking from head to toe, he struggled to his feet. His face was beaded in sweat.  
"Only Valen knows that spell... And that means you must be Valen... So what is it this time, Father? Is it because I haven't taken care of my stupid brother Rue? Its always about Rue with you, since he's the special one!" He rocked back and forth, tears streaming from his eyes. "God damn it, Dad, why did you have to do this to me, be so damn cruel... you don't love me in any form!"  
Mint stared at him as he rattled off on her about Rue. Oops... to much pain has clouded his logic...  
"If he's so great, why did you even make any of us? Me and Ruehi and Ruenis... and... and everyone! What did we do to deserve your hate?"  
"Would you shut up, you lunatic, its just me, Mint!"  
Ruecian looked at her. "Like hell it is!" he charged her, pushing her to the ground putting her in a strangle hold. "Do you want to see what kind of monster you made me, father! I'll show you!"  
His arm began to morph into somethng disgusting- a giant appendage with a leathery hide. She'd never seen it before, but from the way he acted, it had existed long before this day. The black-purple flesh was hard on her own soft, pale neck; it almost burnt her. It smelled awful, too.  
"Don't act so surprised, Father! This is your doing! You made me this... thing!"  
"I'm not your father, you stupid asshole!" Mint shouted, flinging her hands up un defense as she tore his body from hers, smashing him up against a wall. Blood burst out his mouth upon impact, spewing all over the floor.  
Mint took this opritunity and ran with it, literally. She stumbled down the stairway and grabbed Jita up from where he sat. Jita followed, though he had no clue where he was going.

The cieling...  
His eyes opened, staring up.  
It was such a useful invention, the cieling. The way it was there to protect you from anything outside who would hurt you. The way no one ever truly thanked it.  
The strangest pain grew in his belly, like someone had just tried to wrench out his intestines...  
Wait, someone had. Valen? No, that girl... Mint.  
A smile grew on his lips. It had always been this way. It felt so natural. Was such normality what he longed for? He had never really liked her...  
But he had been so happy.  
He felt a stinging tear burn from between his eyelips.  
"Stop it."  
It wasn't even the voice this time. It was himself.  
He sat up. It was time to do as he always did. Even though his internals hurt, he'd lived this way before.  
He was downstairs and in the bar.  
" Where have you been?>" the bartender asked, a bit ticked off. " It's noon, Aimé. I've let you slack off since you got yourself a new girlfriend, but its gettiing rediculous!>"  
" It won't happen again... That's for sure...>"  
" Had some trouble?>"  
" You could say that...>"  
" For that, I'll let you off the hook about that hole in the wall. I know how difficult those things can be...>"  
" Yeah... sorry about that... whole... hole thing...>"  
The bartender walked away with a smile on his face.  
What a great guy, was all Ruecian could think. He didn't have much time to think, though, because somebody tapped him lightly on the shoulder. Before he could even turn around, he heard a menacing, female voice behind him demand, "Give me one reason not to kill you."  
He recognised the voice in a second.  
"Ruehi..." he said quietly, before spinning around, ducking and landing in a crouch on the floor. Simultainously, the threatening woman's clenched fist put a large dent in the bar.  
"One reason, bro." She said, turning to him. "Make it snappy."  
"Does it have to be a good reason?"  
The sat still as statues, staring emotionlessly at each other. She was something to behold-- a tall, handsome woman, dressed richly, like an indulgent pirate, her costume a mix of reds, blues and purples. About her forehead was donned as scarlet headwrap, beneath which was a stone which encompassed her soul. She also wore odd earrings: these of a dangling affair, with large, purplish diamond shaps. Inside each was a bit of a gleam.  
Ruehi let out a laugh. "It's good to see you again, Ruecian!"  
She swooped down and embraced him. He laughed as well-- he cried in fact. "Ruehi, Ruehi, I thought you'd died!"  
She held him at arms length. "The hunter should never become the hunted."  
"So that means..."  
"Yeah- see my left earring?"  
"You are a brutal and disturbing creature," the brother doll grinned. "What did I ever do without you?"  
They embraced once again. Then, Ruehi, with incredible strength, pulled Ruecian to the bar by his bicep.  
" Two, please,>" She said with a sweet and toothy grin.  
The bartender brang over thier drinks and plunked them down before them. " You're paying for the dent, bub,>" he said, bemused.  
" Hey, man, I'll handle, it,>" the woman said cheerily. " Anything for my favorite brother.>"  
"More like the only one of us you won't kill..." Ruecian said dismally, taking a swig of his beer. Ruehi seemed impressed by the retort.  
"Now, you must tell me everything from the time you and I parted ways."  
"I'd bore you to tears. A lot of moping."  
"Did I turn you into a moper? Dear me, I apologize profusely."  
"Well, honestly, Ruehi, you aren't going to like it all... or any of it, perhaps..."  
She looked a little dissapointed, like a child denied a cookie.  
"Lord, I did turn you into a mope!" she exclaimed, turning her nose up at his state.  
"It's not like that! My... my girlfriend tried to kill me last night..." he sighed. "Usually, I'm all smiles and sunshine."  
Observing him slowly, she felt heat rise into her cheeks. "You... had a girlfriend?"  
"I thought you were dead, Ruehi. I really did... I wouldn't have broken any of our promises if I had known you were alive..."  
"Hey, don't sweat it, dear. I had a few flings since those days..."  
He put his arm around her shoulder.  
They smiled. It was time to do what they did best.  
To kill.

Mint sat in her fresh hotel bedroom, Jita curled and sleeping underneath the blankets on the bed opposite hers.  
This sucks! she thought. I gave up a ton for that creep! And how does he repay me?Asks me to give up more! And now I have to deal with the brat...  
..I WON'T turn into my mom. No.  
The sun was about rising. Ruecian would be awake soon, if he had survived. But then again... when she had preformed the spell, there had been a foreign object inside him she had chosen to ignore. But, there it had been- some sort of magical item in place of his heart. Did all dolls have that? I wish I had that damn book that was always laying around at Ruecian's place.  
But if he had survived... would he come after her, mistaking her for Valen? She doubted it. He had been crazy then, consumed by hate and loathing for his father. They were a lot alike, she and Ruecian. Both had father's who expected something from them that they could not do, or even pray to do, outdone by their more capable siblings, looked upon with shame.  
Why did I love him so much? she felt a tear meander down her cheek, slowly but surely as it dripped past her chin, falling onto the comforter with a soft "plut".  
Slowly, she found herself wrapping her body in blankets and falling asleep. No more tears came though. There was no reason to be sad when you where making the best decision of your life.

Day came abruptly with the door opening. Mint jumped out of her skin, turning quickly to see a man, or perhaps a boy-- but someone she knew.  
Rue. And he was pissed.  
"Mint! Come here and fight me!"  
"What the hell?" she barked back. "Why don't you knock before barging in on people?"  
"Don't lie to me! Kirrielle told me the whole story!"  
"Kir--" Mint thought a moment. Trap Master had called Mode Master Kirrielle... Could he really mean the same person?  
"That's right! I know about you and Doll Master and your conspiricies!" he shouted.  
What the hell was he talking about? That was yesterday! I didn't even know I was with Ruecian until then! And at that point, we tried to kill each other! "Why are you so berzerk!" she asked furiously. "I didn't have anything to do with Doll Master!" Little white lies make the world go 'round.  
"It's because of you and him that Claire is dead!"  
She rolled her eyes. "Will you shut the fuck up about Claire?"  
"Don't you insult her like that!" Rue lost it, lunging forward, Arc Edge slicing through the dusty air.  
"Big mistake." Mint cast the spell she'd used on her ex-love yesterday. Rue remained suspended in the position he had assumed.  
"Now, Mr. Rue... Did Kirrielle cast some sort of spell on you?"  
"No! She's the only one I can trust out of you, anyway!" he snarled in a beastly fashion.  
"Uh...huh..." the princess, said in a flat tone, while she began to recall an article in that damn book about dolls Ruecian always had lying around. Doll's had a simple growth in their brain that made them more suseptable to control spells of certain kinds. Specifically, they were created for Valen to control them, but there where certain methods (which remained unmentioned) in which anyone else could posses them. She figured the last thing Rue would do was sit around and talk cheerily with Kirrielle over tea and crumpets.  
She would have to pinpoint that part of the brain... and smash it. One foul move and Rue was braindead.  
Won't be much of a change from the present... Mint thought as she mentally scanned the exterior of his brain.  
There it was. Keep focused, remember what Maya said.  
She clenched her fist.  
There was a thud as Rue hit the floor.  
She opened her eyes from their previously squeezed shut state.  
Rue lay in a pile. He no longer held the Arc Edge in his hand; it was several feet away from his open hand.  
OH SHIT! I KILLED HIM!  
He made a groaning noise.  
Whew.  
Slowly, the doll sat up. "Mint..? Where am I?"  
"Kirrielle musta possessed you... You're lucky I didn't have to kill you." And I'm lucky I left out the fact that I actually might of if I hadn't been so well informed.  
"Mint! I went to find the Ephlesian Relic, but it was gone!"  
"Dammit! You know, if I had Kirrielle right now, I'd ring her neck... She probably blacked you out while you were fighting and made the illusion it wasn't there so you'd give up!"  
"Mint... Don't talk so badly of her..." he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can understand why she'd want me to kill you."  
She looked out the window. "What the hell do you mean by that?"  
Rue stood. "You killed one of the most important people in the world to her... just the way Doll Master did to me. Now, I'm plenty happy that he's dead, but I just... I understand her viewpoint."  
Mint stared on out the window.  
If you only knew.

_Author's (final) Notes: Well, guys, it's been quite a ride, and I'm pretty damn glad it's over! This Last Chapter was my favorite, because things sort went back to normal. And Mint became badass. AND RUEHI APPEARED. OH MY GOD, DID I LOVE RUEHI. This is the first doll that I made up that I didn't hate like 2 weeks later. Ruehi was great... Cuz she was so psychaoticly against Valen. I t occurred to me a few month after writing this that Ruecian really isn't psychaoticly against Valen, and I think that that is why I sort of ended up hating this story XD. If I had ever had the will (or gall) to finish this, I would have taken out Ruecian's freaking out and just made Mint try to kill him. And yeah..._

_HERE WAS TO BE THE REST OF THE PLOT:  
-Rue and Mint try to find the Elphesian relic and gasp IT REALLY IS GONE!  
-Ruecian and Ruehi come to kill Rue (Ruehi's earrings are made of Other dolls Dewstones). Also cuz Ruehi hates Valen Dolls. :P  
-UM Ruehi and Ruecian have a thing going on OO Yes, Incest... XP  
-GASP! Aimé really ISN'T Ruecian! He's the reincarnation of Ruecian's memories, which built themselves around the Ephlesian relic. That's where it went!  
-The relic's... spirit? posseses uecian and Ruehi like... pulls it out of his chest!  
-I couldn't decide ifI wanted Ruecian to live or die. I think I probably would have killed him. Cuz yeah. I'm mean.  
- Mint Sad :( Don't worry Mint, i can pair you with anyone and not mind (CEPT RUE)  
-Ruehi doesn't kill Rue.  
-The relic is... defunct... or like... not very powerful. Mint get's all stampy.  
-Ruehi like... goes off searching for other dolls to kill and doesn't mind Rue cuz he hates Valen too.  
-Mint looks back on all 'o this and smiles.. The last paragraph would be ultra cheesy.  
-OHANDI forgot to mention. Claire is revived. Yeah.  
_


End file.
